1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a selectively activated electrochemical cell system, and more particularly to such a system wherein individual cells or groups of cells may be activated in various successions depending on energy and power requirements.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A variety of systems use electrochemical cells such as batteries and fuel cells to meet power needs. For example, many portable devices, backup systems, vehicles, and other power consuming systems use electrochemical cells
A key requirement for an electrochemical cell system is to meet the power requirements. Another concern relates to the energy of the cell, which is the length of time that the required power may be provided to the load. Heretofore, it has been extremely difficult to combine high power and high energy
A further problem associated with electrochemical cell systems, particularly primary batteries, is that once a battery is activated, it remains active until it is discharged by utilization of the useful energy in the battery, self discharge, corrosion, or combinations thereof. Therefore, interruptibility of conventional batteries, in many circumstances, is limited.
It would be desirable to provide a system that can produce high power and high energy, while further allowing for interruptibility, and therefore extending the useful lifetime of the system.